Update- PDP, ADC, SDP, 37 Other Parties In Alliance To Oust Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is reportedly in alliance with the Olusegun Obasanjo-backed African Democratic Congress, the Olu Falae-led Social Democratic Party and 37 other parties ahead of 2019.

The Punch reports that the parties are holding alliance talk on how to defeat the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was reported that the Nigerian Intervention Movement, co-chaired by Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and Dr. Abdujalil Tafawa-Balewa, is presently holding alliance talks with the Coalition for New Nigeria, a coalition of 35 political parties.

It said: “The NIM Coalition team has just ended a marathon coalition talks separately and jointly in Abuja at various locations with the Labour Party, United Progressive Party, Alliance for New Nigeria, Action Democratic Party, and Action Alliance in a process of setting up a national grand electoral alliance for 2019.

“All the parties have, by and large, agreed to the NIM’s terms and therefore asked to go and reaffirm the endorsement of their leadership organs and structures to avoid future problems.”

A member of Obasanjo-led ADC said there was little time which was why alliance was necessary with other parties.

He said: “We have just nine months to the elections and the other groups, especially the NIM, were being slow about it. So, Obasanjo felt time was running out. With what he has done, others have woken up and the alliance talks are beginning to move quicker.

“In the coming days, you will see defections and re-alignments as the main opposition begins to take shape.”

Dr. Yunusa Tanko who is the chairman of Coalition for New Nigeria said the PDP has approached other parties for alliance.

“The CNN is a coalition or a group of several political parties but we only form alliances, not mergers. There are alignments and re-alignments happening in some of the parties within our group. One of our members, which is the ADC, was recently adopted by Obasanjo.”

“The PDP is not yet a member of the CNN but they (party officials) are making overtures towards us and trying to align with our political parties. Some of our members got calls from the PDP and said the PDP told them that they would not be able to work alone and they need to align with other existing political parties. So, the alignments are still taking shape.”